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Vito Corleone
Lord Vito Corleone (1195-1261) was a Sicilian-born English/Scottish warrior, diplomat and noble, universally acknowledged as the founder of the House of Corleone. He is sometimes referred to as Victor Corleone in England, while in Scottish chronicles he as known as Vitus I, the name under which he ruled Scotland from 1257 to his death. Along with his close friends, the freedom fighters Owain Davis and Rafael Hohenstaufen, he dedicated more than half of his life to the service of England. Early life Born in the small mountain village of Santa Catarina, near Caltanissetta, Sicily, he was the eldest son born to Brunaccio Falcone and Mary Clinton, a direct descendant of England's first Lord Chancellor. His mother, a frail young woman of only 17, died shortly after he was born; her husband, Michele Nicoletti, who never knew of his wife's infidelity and assumed the child was his own, was left to raise the boy, who he christened Vito Nicoletti after his own father'.' Within a few years, Michele had remarried and started a family of his own, siring three sons: Roberto, Francesco (who would serve as a bodyguard to Earl Harold Blackadder), and Gennaro, as well as a daughter, Maria. Vito would not realize until he was in his forties that the men he thought were his half-brothers were actually not blood relatives at all. An uncle of his, Giovanni De Corrado, stood as his godfather. Vito grew to manhood in the foothills of Sicily. His intellect and charismatic personality were evident from an early age. When the English journalist Lewes Clinton went to Sicily in the 1260s to find out more about Vito's early life, an old woman of the village told him that she recalled an incident where the boy, not yet twelve years old, formed a literal army of armed Sicilian peasant children with the intent of leading them all the way to Palermo in an effort to repeal the high taxes imposed upon their parents. Eventually, she said, the youngster came to his senses and disbanded his child militia. Clinton also interviewed many of Vito's childhood friends, many of whom said they held him in a higher regard than their own fathers; considering that southern Italians honour their families to the point of near ancestor worship, this demonstrates the exceptionally positive opinion many people had of the man later to be known as the Lionhearted. Military service Young Vito's carefree childhood came to an abrupt end in 1212, when the seventeen-year-old's stepfather Michele died suddenly of a heart attack. The youngest of his surrogate siblings was only eight years of age at the time. Though his stepmother soon found support by remarrying - to Barbaro Nicoletti, her late husband's brother and captain of Santa Catarina's garrison - Vito still felt that the burden on the woman he considered his mother would be enormous. Deciding that she could raise her own four children with her new husband's help, the young Sicilian left his native island to seek military employment on the mainland. He spent the next several years passing through various towns and cities in Calabria, Apulia and Basilicata, serving as an independent mercenary wherever he could find work. By 1215, at the age of 20, he had ended up in Campania, where he found work building the cathedral at Avellino. The next year brought him to the bustling city of Naples, where an ongoing war with the Spanish left the city's garrison relatively depleted. Vito enlisted in the Neapolitan militia in the spring of 1216. His superiors soon realized the talent and leadership capabilities of the young southerner, and by 1220 he had become the captain of Naples' militia. Fortunately, he was not called into combat during his tenure in Campania. Given the fact that his military career in Naples was relatively peaceable, Vito was able to take advantage of the library of Naples' collection of books, one of the largest in southern Italy at the time. By the time he honourably resigned from service there in 1221, he had educated himself in world history, mathematics, philosophy, political science and rhetoric, and had taught himself French, German, Polish, Spanish, Latin, Greek, and English. Venice, France and Aragon By the time he was in his mid-twenties, Vito had tired of the drudgery of Naples and sought action; therefore, in 1221, he headed north - first to Florence, which was slightly too artistic for his liking, then to the canal city of Venice. Renting a home near the heart of the city, the enterprising young Sicilian took up a practice as an amateur gondolier. However, within a year of his arrival, the professional Venetian gondoliers had gotten wind of his scheme and threatened to take his house away and throw him out of town unless he left of his own volition. Vito took their hint and left; though he would return to Italy, he swore that day to never again set foot in Venice. He spent the next several years wandering across southern France. He married a beautiful young woman in Marseilles and purchased a home, planning to settle there indefinitely; however, he was heartbroken when she died of plague less than a year later, shortly after giving birth to a son. The child also died of the disease the day of his mother's funeral. The young Italian, utterly devastated at his loss, gave his residence to a homeless Sicilian named Antonio Simonelli (who promised that he would repay Vito's act of generosity someday), and boarded the next ship bound for Barcelona. After said ship was nearly sunk in a terrible storm, Vito began doubting his Catholic faith, wondering if there really was a God, or perhaps one that had nothing but misfortune planned for him. When, shortly thereafter, a Spanish pickpocket stole what little money he had to his name, he, as many geniuses throughout history have, became suicidal. The now homeless Vito Nicoletti was walking on a bridge, considering whether he should jump off of it or not, when a passing Aragonese noble celebrated for his generosity gave him fifty florins. Though Vito never would know the man's name, he would later give him credit for literally saving his life. The Sicilian bought himself a new set of clothes, a Toledo-made broadsword, and passage to England, the land of his maternal ancestry, with a new-found faith in life and the hope that he would find fortune once more. Coming to England Vito arrived at the harbor of Portsmouth on the traditional Italian holiday of Saint Joseph's Day, in March of the year 1225. He bought himself a modest apartment above a grocery in London, making an agreement with the grocer that he would not have to pay rent if he worked in the store. It was at this time that Vito befriended the grocer's young nephew, Richard Cleveland, a native of Cornwall who also worked in the grocery. After the Sicilian left for York in 1227, the two would not meet again until 1232, in Acre. In 1226, Mondego Hohenstaufen, son of Rafael, rebelled against the Crown and became a heretic, hiding himself in the woods just outside of London and daring the English nobility to catch him if they could. Vito, hoping to become more active in political matters, saw this as his chance to receive attention in England, and thus led the charge against Hohenstaufen. By the time they had found and captured him, it was fair to say he was quite dead. Vito was given the credit for leading this heroic act, and, to his surprise, was personally commended by the dead man's father Rafael for his actions. Rafael, a keen observer of men, saw something unique in the young foreigner; his sharp wit, rare intellect and natural charisma made him a leader among men, even at his young age. Rafael knew that he had to do all that he could to help the younger man get his start in England. Fortunately, an opportunity to do so would arise within just a year. Overthrow of Alerick Vito Nicoletti was introduced to Owen Davis by Rafael at the Boars Head Inn, London's premier tavern, in early 1227. It was apparent that the three men were of the same mind. Naturally, Vito lent his support to Davis' revolt against the tyrannical king Alerick in 1227, as did many of the most powerful nobles in England. When this rebellion reached its climax - a one-on-one duel between the king and Davis - Vito was there to cheer on his friend and ally. After Alerick was slain in the duel, Davis, honourable as he always was, declined to take the throne himself, instead naming the duke of Nottingham, Geoffry Wilson, the next king of England. Thanks to the influence of Rafael, Vito was knighted by the new king Geoffry I. To his surprise, the Sicilian was also offered the hand of Rafael's daughter, Roxana, in marriage. Vito was more than honoured to accept. Provided with a comfortable estate just outside of London by his father-in-law, Vito welcomed the first of his first surviving child in the fall of 1226, a boy who was christened Santino Raffaele Nicoletti (Santino being a Sicilian name translating to 'little saint'). Feeling overwhelmingly thankful for his newfound fortune in his mother's native land, Vito resolved to settle down and provide his wife and son with a stable family life. For three years they kept to themselves in a modest home in London, until Vito's old friend Owain Davis called him into service yet again. Crusade of 1230 In early 1230, Pope Gregory IX called a crusade on Acre, then in Egyptian hands; England was prompt to join this endeavor. Owain, Vito and a number of other nobles were to head one army that would besiege the city from the west, while the latter's old friend Richard Cleveland would meet up with Juan Ramirez, a seasoned warrior and relative of Rafael, and his army and come to the others' aid from the east. Acre gave in without much of a fight, and the Englishmen rejoiced at their victory. For Vito's bravery in combat, Owain gave him the title of Coeur-de-lion ('heart of the lion' or 'the lionhearted'); once he returned to Britain, Vito, who had long had the intention of anglicizing his foreign-sounding surname to something more English, adapted his title to form the surname Corleone, which is still used by his descendants to this day. His son was thereby renamed Santino Corleone. However, Richard Cleveland was not satisfied with just having taken Acre in the name of Christendom. Cleveland, who had been named the baron of Devon and Cornwall by King Geoffry, was a hotheaded, impulsive young man, and he felt compelled to defy papal orders and lead a direct assault on the holy city of Jerusalem. He insisted that Ramirez stay in Acre, in case their crusade should fail. And fail it did; Cleveland and his force, five thousand strong, paid for it with their lives. Vito was devastated at his friend's loss, and dispatched a small group of soldiers to retrieve his bones from the Levant for burial in England. Cleveland's posthumous son, Francis, was born at Acre shortly thereafter; he and the rest of Cleveland's family were given to Vito to be looked after. Incidentally, within a year of Cleveland's death, the Sicilian's eldest half-brother, Roberto Nicoletti, came to join his sibling in England, adopting the name Robert Corleone; Vito would ensure his marriage to the mother of Cleveland's child. Both mother and child thereafter also adopted the surname of Corleone. Scotland No sooner than Vito and company had returned to England, Owain Davis compelled him to join him in yet another adventure. The Welshman's eye was focused to the northern kingdom of Scotland, whose ruling family he perceived to be nothing more than a group of criminals, louts and scoundrels. With his recruitment of the Sicilian, the plan was put into motion: Vito Corleone would, under several different guises, bring the entire extended royal family of Scotland together for a great banquet; Rafael and Owain, the freedom fighters who had liberated England several decades before, would simultaneously stir up discontent and awaken the sleeping giant that is the Highland's many clans; and William III Clinton, a direct descendant of his Lord Chancellor namesake, would perform the most dangerous and imperative part: he was to slip into the kitchen of Edinburgh's castle the night before the feast and cover the food with enough poison to exterminate a city. The plan went off without a hitch; the entire ruling family of Scotland was eliminated at once, and the people of the Highlands, thrilled to be rid of their unpopular monarch and his clan, welcomed the new Englishmen's government. By popular acclaim, Davis was named King Owain I of Scotland, while Vito became chancellor of the Scottish Parliament. Clinton was named the Scottish ambassador to England; Rafael Hohenstaufen, however, wanted no part in governing Scotland, and quietly retired to Ireland, where he died several decades later. Personal life By 1235, Vito's family had grown significantly. He was blessed with twin sons, born in 1231, whom he named Eugenio and Raffaello Corleone, after his friends Owain and Rafael, respectively. A daughter, Domenica, followed in 1233. Vito and Roxana had two more sons, Carlo (born in 1237) and Gaetano (born in 1240). Rafael stood as godfather to all of his Corleone grandsons. His eldest son, Santino Corleone, would turn out to be the opposite of his father in terms of personality. An illogical, impulsive young man, he displayed none of his father's famed reason or patience. Santino married young and sired many heirs, from whom the modern branch of the House of Corleone descends. However, he became frustrated by the bandits that throughout the 1250s had stalked the roads of northern Yorkshire, virtually blcokading all trade and communication between the dual kingdoms of England and Scotland. Several months after Vito's ascension to the Scottish throne in 1258, Santino was lured into an ambush by bandits not far from the Scottish border. He was killed almost instantly by an arrow through his head. Santino was given one of the most lavish funerals in the history of Scotland and buried at the St Giles Cathedral. His father characteristically vowed to not take revenge on those that had killed his heir; under Paul I of england, however, the bandits of York were all but eradicated. Reign of Owain As king of Scotland, Owain Davis enjoyed a quite peaceful reign. Art and culture flourished in Edinburgh, and, while the same sorts of rebellions and petty bickering continued as it had for centuries in England, the Scottish peasantry and nobility alike were, for a brief period in their history, truly happy. But Owain knew he was not immortal, and he feared what would happen when their good English government would eventually cease to be. By now well into his sixties, the Welshman knew he could not last much longer. There were two men remaining he could trust to govern after he had passed - Clinton and Corleone. William Clinton, like many of his family, would certainly jump at a chance for power; Vito, on the other hand, would hold off as long as he possibly could before taking the throne. Owain knew this well, and made plans accordingly. Therefore, when he eventually died of old age in 1248, Clinton was crowned King William I of Scotland. Though William had a young son, Victor (named after Vito), the two never quite saw eye to eye, and so William took it upon himself to name Vito his heir to the throne. Return to England Following the death of Owain and ascension of Clinton, Vito sought permission from the king to return to England indefinitely. William gave his consent; while Corleone's family remained at their home in Inverness, Vito traveled south to England. King Paul I, whose father had first knighted the Sicilian decades before, treated him as if King Arthur had at long last returned to Britain's shores. Vito easily won the election for Lord Chancellor, a position vacated by the death of Father Guy d'Anjou the previous year. When, during his tenure as England's chancellor, he was informed of the death of his mentor and father-in-law Hohenstaufen in Ireland, he immediately commissioned a statue of both Rafael and Owain, to be placed just outside of the Parliament building. Surely, he would have hesitated about doing so had he realized that a statue of himself would be erected alongside them following his own death. England was at peace during the reign of Paul, as with most of his Wilson descendants. Nonetheless, Vito was kept fairly busy with beauracracy and the running of the nation. He was thankful that he was not in Scotland in 1252, when King William was given a hard time by both the Church and certain Scottish nobles (and most certainly their wives) for violating his marriage with a serving lady. Though he initially denied the affair, Clinton was eventually forced to admit his guilt and denounced by the Pope. The servant with whom he conducted said affair came south and made a fortune selling her story in London, and was nearly canonized by the Church of England until Vito stepped in and had the woman banished. Vito had several harsh words for his cousin William the next time the two met. King of Scotland In 1257, while Vito was still serving as chancellor of England, King William died suddenly of a cerebral hemmorhage. His son Victor Clinton, living in Ireland at the time, did not wish to contest Vito's status as heir; thus, though the honourable Sicilian had staved off power as long as he possibly could, here at the end of his life he was forced to take it. On Saint Joseph's Day, 19 March 1258, Vito Nicoletti Corleone was crowned King Vitus I of Scotland. The native Sicilian, now an old man of sixty three, knew that he would not reign for very long. He had no plans for succession in the eventuality of his death; his eldest son Santino had eventually been his top choice for his heir, but he had gotten himself killed over nothing. His other sons were either too young to make an effective king or wanted nothing to do with ruling Scotland. By 1260, however, Vito had found a man whom he believed would make a suitable successor: William Rufus, a descendant of the notorious Rufian clan. However, Vito was convinced that William was nothing like his despicable ancestors and placed his trust in the man. Little could he ever realize what misfortune he had caused for Scotland after his death. As with the reigns of Owain I and William I, Scotland remained at peace during Vito's tenure as king. Relations with England were also good during this period. Death and aftermath The official biography of Vito Corleone (completed by scolar Robert the Black in 1273) says that he died of a sudden heart attack on the feast day of Saint Albert of Sicily - the seventh day of August - in the year of our Lord 1261. William Rufus was crowned King Rufus I of Scotland the following month. As requested in his will, and under the supervision of his widow, the Queen Consort Roxana, his body was brought back to England for burial in the Cathedral of St Caradog. After the completion of the Cathedral of St John in 1353, Corleone's body, along with those of many other famous Englishmen, were reinterred there. His remains now rest in a place of honour near the first row of pews. As Owain had predicted three decades before, chaos erupted in Scotland. Before long a bloodthirsty mob had killed the king and placed his son, a true Rufus in every sense of the word, on the throne. A terrible era had begun for Scotland, but Vito was not at fault for being mortal, as with Owain. They had simply done what they could to delay such a reign of terror, and they had succeeded.